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Preterm labor is labor that occurs before the 37th week in a normal 40-week pregnancy. The March of Dimes reports that 12 percent of babies born in the United States each year are born premature. These babies usually require longer hospital stays and experience more extensive long-term health problems. Sadly, according to the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), premature babies account for most newborn deaths. Learn the signs of preterm labor in pregnancy so you can be prepared.

Although people may insist that your pregnancy has you glowing, you may not feel like you fit that description. In fact, the common discomforts of pregnancy can disturb your sleep and have you wondering if everything is progressing normally. Mild discomforts are a normal part of pregnancy, but some types of pain may signify a condition that requires medical treatment. An unusual pain in the side may be nothing more than an ordinary symptom of a stretching uterus, or it could be something more serious.

As a woman of child-bearing age, you have likely had your fair share of Pap smears. While most Pap smear tests come back normal, on occasion, women who received abnormal pap smear results require additional medical testing and perhaps even treatment. If you receive an abnormal pap smear result while pregnant, don’t panic. While your result could be the sign of something serious, it could also be no cause for concern at all. Abnormal Pap smear results during pregnancy are not unheard of, and many of the tests and treatments associated with these results can be administered to moms-to-be.

Many moms-to-be eagerly anticipate the onset of labor not because they look forward to the requisite discomfort and work that the process entails, but instead because they can’t wait to cast their eyes on their new bundle of joy. As women approach their promised due date, they commonly become eager for any signs of the commencement of labor. While no sign is as clear an indication of the start of labor as the development of contractions, certain signs indicate that labor and, by connection, birth, are but a few days away.